Clement Idoko – Abuja
The Federal Government on Tuesday reaffirmed the commitment of President Muhammadu Buhari to allow a fair and credible electoral process and hand over the reins of power to the next President on May 29.
Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Mr Boss Mustapha, spoke during the inauguration of the Presidential Transition Council, which was constituted by the President on 7th February 2023.
He noted that President Buhari had signed the Executive Order No. 14 of 2023 on the Facilitation and Management of Presidential Transitions which provides the legal framework for a seamless transition of power from one administration to another.
Mustapha explained that though the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria sets out the overarching framework for the assumption of office of the President, saying was the first time in the history of a country that the Federal Government of Nigeria would be establishing a detailed process for managing Presidential transitions of government at the federal level.
SGF who doubles as the chairperson of the Council said in line with Executive Order No. 14 of 2023, the Council is charged with the responsibility of facilitating and managing the 2023 Presidential Transition Programme, Council will amongst other things: facilitate the handing over process by the current President to the President-elect.
He added that the Council would also organise for the security of the President-elect and the Vice President-elect including coordinating security briefings on the nation’s security matters post-elections, organise for the necessary facilities including fully furnished Office and personnel for the President-elect and his/her transition team, co-ordinate the briefings of the President-elect by relevant public officers; facilitate communication between the outgoing President and the President-elect; prepare the programme and organise for the swearing-in ceremony.
The Council was also mandated to carry out any other activity necessary to ensure optimal performance of the functions of the President under the Constitution and perform any other function assigned to it under the 1999 Constitution as amended.
Mustapha also in line with Executive Order No.14, appointed the Special Adviser to the President on Policy and Coordination, Dr Habiba Lawal, as the Secretary of the Presidential Transition Council, saying she is by the Executive Order to be known as the Federal Transition Coordinator.
He said: “The Council shall have all powers necessary for the execution of its functions under this Executive Order and shall conduct its business in line with national ethics as espoused in Section 23 of the Constitution. Except as otherwise provided in the Executive Order, the Council may determine its own procedure.
“In my capacity as the Chair of this Council, I would do everything within my power to ensure we meet the expectations of Mr President.
“I enjoin each of us to put in even more effort in ensuring the next administration receives every support needed to make an early and quick start. In a few months, it will be 8 years that the Buhari administration has been in power.
“Within this period, we have made significant strides in advancing the fortunes of our nation, we have also learnt lessons that will be useful for the incoming administration and it is on the strength of this trajectory, that the current administration is committing itself to make the 2023 transition process seamless for the incoming President and his team.
“Our achievements must be preserved. The Reforms that enabled those achievements must, therefore, be documented and communicated in clear terms, so the incoming administration understands what we have done, the basis of our decisions, what we achieved and the opportunities for continuity.
“To maximize the limited time we have, Mr President has directed the Chairperson of the Council to convene the inaugural meeting of the Council with immediate effect.
“This aims to kick off the transition process across all levels of government in line with Executive Order No. 14 of 2023. The President expects that the transition process will be replicated across States Government. The activities of this Council will be presented to Mr President in my weekly briefings,” SGF said.
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